July’s typically a slow month for jazz in the city, as most of the venues and presenters have closed their seasons and audiences are skipping town for the summer months. That includes jazz writers, which means that I’m putting together the first installment of this to-be-monthly jazz roundup with one eye on the beckoning road. Despite all that, there are still quite a few shows worth catching between jaunts to the Shore, including local favorites, returning hometown heroes, intriguing experiments and a community-focused entry in the city’s festival season. Watch this space in the coming months for regular highlights of the Philly jazz scene; for now, here’s a few quick tips while I pack my bags to join the temporary exodus. Continue reading →

Saxophonist Azar Lawrence has never been shy about admitting John Coltrane’s influence on his playing. The Los Angeles-born tenor player famously stepped into the legendary saxophonist’s shoes, playing in the bands of both pianist McCoy Tyner and drummer Elvin Jones not long after both left the classic Coltrane Quartet. After being hired by Tyner, he asked the pianist why he’d been deemed worthy.

“I asked McCoy, ‘How could you play with a guy like me after playing with the great John Coltrane?’” Lawrence recalls. “He said, ‘As long as I don’t have to slow down to hand you the baton in this relay race, we’ll be fine.’”

Lawrence has now run with that baton for more than three decades, carving out a lengthy career as a bandleader while also playing alongside greats like Miles Davis, Marvin Gaye and Earth, Wind and Fire. Coltrane is a towering influence in jazz, of course, and Lawrence is an ardent disciple not only of Trane’s tone and technique but of his spiritual leanings, as showcased on his latest CD, The Seeker (Sunnyside). He’ll perform music from that CD as well as some of Coltrane’s compositions as he headlines the 8th annual Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival on Saturday with a stellar band featuring pianist Benito Gonzalez, bassist Essiet Essiet, drummer Brandon Lewis, and the great trumpeter Eddie Henderson.

The free jazz festival is hosted by the People’s Emergency Center (PEC), which provides families in need in the West Philadelphia community with housing, job training, counseling, and other services. The festival, says Cassandra Green, manager of community outreach and partnerships at PEC, “is an opportunity for People’s Emergency Center and its partners and sponsors to celebrate the arts and culture from a community perspective. It provides an opportunity for the whole community to come together and to highlight the West Philadelphia area.”

After doubling attendance for last year’s festival, which was headlined by saxophonist Tim Warfield Jr., the PEC received a $10,000 “Challenge America Fast-Track Grant” from the National Endowment for the Arts. In addition to a full day of music, including performances by Josh Lawrence, Shakera Jones, Nasir Dickerson, and a youth ensemble from Play On, Philly, the event will include a family fitness challenge, a pop-up digital lab, vendors and food trucks.

The festival supports the People’s Emergency Center, a community nonprofit providing social services to homeless single mothers. Bring along some non-perishable food items to help support the PEC’s Food Cupboard. Surely to be anything but dull, the day will have a mix of jazz, R&B, dace, and world music to uplift the community and support a vital cause. Below, watch a video profile of Tim Warfield.

About The Key

Philadelphia: Home to a rich musical history, a unique musical identity, and one of the nation's most thriving musical communities. In a scene filled with so many local bands worth listening to, there will always be new music to discover—and The Key is your source for finding it. Brought to you by WXPN—the non-commercial public radio station that World Cafe, XPN2, and XPoNential Music Festival call home—The Key covers all local music in Greater Philly and beyond.GET IN TOUCH

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About The Key

Philadelphia: Home to a rich musical history, a unique musical identity, and one of the nation's most thriving musical communities. In a scene filled with so many local bands worth listening to, there will always be new music to discover—and The Key is your source for finding it. Brought to you by WXPN—the non-commercial public radio station that World Cafe, XPN2, and XPoNential Music Festival call home—The Key covers all local music in Greater Philly and beyond.GET IN TOUCH